


One Thousand Petals

by Missfoxx21



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Haruno Sakura, F/M, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-13 21:18:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13579125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missfoxx21/pseuds/Missfoxx21
Summary: A bunch of collected one-shots and short fiction ideas I've been fiddling with. Some may have continuations but we'll see.





	1. Secret Santa gift: A Touch of Magic

Sakura peeked down into the dark, dusty cellar. Mariko, her sparrow familiar, chirped nervously from her shoulder. “There has to be something down here of use.” She pulled out her wand, a small, delicate but beautifully carved wand made of cherry wood and inlaid with carved cherry blossoms, began to glow. Small orbs of pink light filled the room.

“You really think you can stop a necromancer like Orochimaru with something from one of his abandoned basements?” Mariko fluttered her wings and hopped up to sit on Sakura’s hat, hidden amongst the silk flowers along the brim.

“We’re out of options, Mari! Tsunade is counting on us...” She walked through the basement full of odds and ends without fear. Most of the items looked like art pieces. She traced her hand along a statue of a man who resembled the first Green Witch, Hashirama, lovingly cradling a sapling. Pots with the Uzushiogakure crest lined the walls. Pottery, statues....and at the very back sat a glass case. Inside was the most beautiful puppet she’d ever seen.

She walked up to it and placed a hand on the glass. The puppet had an inhumanly pretty face, his hair a bright red, and his eyes a molten honey gold. He wore elegant wizard’s robes, bright red and black with gold embroidery. Another, smaller puppet of a scorpion sat in his hands. He seemed to regard it with a fond yet sad expression. 

She looked away to see if there was any way to get the case open. When she looked back, the puppet was staring.

Right.

_At_.

_**Her.** _

She took a step back and the puppet rose. He strode forward towards the glass but before he could touch it, he was yanked backward. There were strings connecting him to the top of the case that were barely visible, like spider silk. He glared at them with a dull irritation. Then he looked to her. She gripped her wand tightly. What sort of spell would work on a puppet like this? She'd taken down wood golems before but something told her this would be far, far more dangerous.

“Girl.” The voice was soft but mild, laced with magic. How could puppets speak? He didn't have vocal cords, surely. Magic, then? “Let me out of this.”

Sakura looked around, once more able to move. There was a large, heavy pot nearby she could probably use to break the glass. But...

“Why should I? How should I know you’re not one of Orochimaru’s tools?”

The puppet man snarled. “That snake betrayed me and turned me into this. Help me out so I can personally slit his throat.” The little puppet scorpion climbed up is back and sat on his shoulder. It waved a claw to Mariko. Mariko hesitantly nodded back. So that snake had gone as far as turning the familiar into a puppet as well? She looked at Mariko.

Mariko looked up at her and chirped quietly. She gave her bird a light pet. A familiar was more than an ally, it was a piece of a magician's very soul given life. To have this done to them must have been excruciating. 

She sighed. “You promise?”

He nodded. “I swear on my honor as Sasori of the Red Sand.” She tilted her head. The name was somewhat familiar but she could hardly place it. Perhaps she would do some research once they were out of this musty basement.

She smirked and tucked her wand away. With a grunt, she lifted the huge pot and tossed it into the glass. The glass case and the pot both shattered into large, rough fragments. “I’m Haruno Sakura, Green Witch of Konohagakure. Nice to meet you.”

He smirked as he stepped out, the broken glass cutting his strings. One of the strings shot out, fast as a cobra. It wrapped around her waist and yanked her closer. He took one of her hands in his and his other hand splayed over her lower back.

She blushed and stared up at him. He leaned down and pressed his cold, smooth lips to hers for a moment. The burn of contract magic passed through both of them. It felt like she had been struck with lightning and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She wondered if it was possible to get drunk on how much power he was sharing with her. For him to have this much even with the magic it must require to move his puppet body...Sasori was no wizard to be trifled with.

She flushed more as he smirked down at her, his lips only a breath away from hers. “As you freed me, I am in your debt. Be kind to me... _Mistress."_ His voice was soft as ever but there was a definite growl to it.

She swallowed hard, her green eyes on his gold ones. “O-of course. Nice to have you with us.” Oh she was in so much trouble. Her heart thundered in her chest and her pulse raced though her veins. This was not good.

He seemed to smirk wider, then pulled her with him back toward the exit. His arm remained around her waist. Mariko squawked and fluttered around the pair of them. Sasori gave the bird a look but continued up toward the stairs.

“Let’s go. We have a snake to kill...and I do so hate wasting time.”


	2. Rookie of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She worked her ass off to make top of her year and impress the boy of her dreams. In retrospect, this was probably a mistake.

"Sometimes," Sakura mumbled as she pushed herself back onto her feet, "I think life would be so much simpler if I'd fallen for Sasuke like every other girl of my year." She slipped back into a fighting stance and eyed her foes. Seven chuunin-level missing nin sent to capture Naruto for some evil plot or another. As he still had that childish crush on her, it had painted a rather impressive target on her back.

She'd be speaking to Kushina about that little obsession of his when she got back. _If_ she made it back.

Her teacher had told her that, if she wasn't sure she could win, all she'd have to do was survive. Survive long enough to escape or for help to arrive. Based on how far her team had been, that'd be five minutes. She could survive for that long. 

It'd take everything she'd learned but she'd _survive_.

Five.

* * *

Sakura bumped Ino with her shoulder. "You know, you're no better than those other girls, fawning over Sasuke-san like that. You know, he's not even that cool. I mean, Itachi-san-"

"I get it, Forehead, you adore the Uchiha Heir and want to have all of his pretty dark-haired prodigy babies instead of Sasuke's. But just watch. Sasuke is gonna be named Rookie of the year and then you'll see how cool he is."

Sakura rolled her eyes. They slipped into class, their new hitai-ate worn proudly on display. Naruto waved to Sakura from his seat next to his taciturn best friend. She gave him a slight, awkward wave and ducked into a seat next to Hinata. "I swear, no matter how many times I tell him...If he weren't the Fourth's son, I'd knock him into next week!" 

"It's...it's fi-fine, Sakura-chan." Hinata looked over at her and smiled gently. "You're at the top of the class, you-you're brave and beautiful. It's no wonder he...he likes you."

"Even so! You're just as skilled as I am and way prettier! Right, Ino?" Sakura looked back at her other best friend for confirmation.

"Oh definitely." Ino nodded sagely. "No giant forehead, delicate features, flawless skin, that trademark Hyuuga-brand silky hair...You are leagues ahead of Sakura in terms of looks."

Hinata buried her face in her hands. Sakura grinned at Ino who winked. 

"See? Ino's way too outspoken to lie about something like that. I think he only likes me because he knows you're too good for him." Hinata peeked through her fingers at Sakura. "Don't worry. Even if it's not him...You'll find someone who'll see everything that's great about you and you'll forget all about Namikaze Naruto."

Hinata giggled and turned to face the front as Iruka came into the classroom.

"I will now announce Rookie of the Year, Team distribution....and a special announcement."

The class broke into excited whispers at that. Sakura looked at Ino, who shrugged. She frowned. If even "Queen of Gossip" Yamanaka Ino had no clue, it must have been last-minute.

"First off, Rookie of the year! This Genin spent every year of the academy working hard, improving their skills and bringing pride to this village. Highest academic scores, second best Taijutsu score, best genjutsu score, tied for best ninjutsu...I'm sure it comes as a surprise to no one that the Rookie of the Year from this graduating class...is Haruno Sakura!"

She couldn't keep the grin off of her face. She was so wrapped up with her joy it was easy to ignore Sasuke's glare and the ire of her fangirl classmates. It seemed like Ino was the only member of the Sasuke fanclub _not_ sending a wave of killer intent her way. She held onto that good mood until she noticed that nearly every name had been called for team announcements.

Except hers.

"Now, for our Rookie of the Year...You've been presented with an even greater opportunity! You're going to be travelling with one of our most honored Jonin instructors to be trained alongside two fellow allies from different countries as part of the Yondaime's Peaceful Outreach program while the group of you travel all over the Shinobi lands. Your parents have already been notified so-"

She couldn't breathe. She'd be leaving the village. She'd be on a team with strange ninja from who-knows-where. No boring D Rank missions to bond with Ino and Hinata over. No games of Shogi with Shikamaru. No morning runs with Kiba or tea with the Aburames or strength training with Chouji. Her breathing sped up as Iruka kept talking. She felt Hinata's hand on hers but she couldn't move. No haggling with Tenten for discounts on weapons. No Naruto chasing after her or pulling her into his and Sasuke's ridiculous pranks. No more shifts at the hospital to learn how to be a medic.

No Itachi-san at the dango shop to give her pointers. No Itachi-san at the library asking about their shared favorites. No Itachi-san at the hospital, patiently letting her practice by bandaging his wounds after a mission.

For the first, but not the last time, Sakura felt regret for not holding back a little bit.

* * *

 

She ducked a blow only to be kicked off to one side. She rolled along the ground and back onto her feet. She dashed off to avoid a rain of senbon and kunai that dogged her steps. She needed to think. She needed a plan. If only she weren't so small, so weak-wait. 

An opening! She tucked herself small and, in a moment of sheer desperate insanity, she dove between the legs of a missing-nin and kept running when she popped out on the other side. She tried to block out his screams as his ally's attack cut him to shreds.

One down.

Four.

* * *

 Sakura sighed as she trailed after her new sensei. The woman hummed softly. "Just a bit further. We're meeting your teammates on neutral ground in the Land of Tea. Oh isn't this exciting, Sakura-chan? Such a nice opportunity to see the world, spread some peace, strengthen alliances...Kushina was right. It was such a good idea to come out of retirement for this."

Sakura looked up at her and narrowed her eyes. Was she...was she joking? This was the worst! Still, she quickly faked a grin when her teacher looked back at her. Her dark eyes were bright. It was clear to see where her sons got their good looks from.

"O-of course, Uchiha-sensei!"

"Please, dear. Call me Mikoto."

"Yes, Mikoto-sensei." She had to play nice, though. This was Itachi-san's mom. If she could stay on her good side, maybe, just maybe, this could lead to her gaining Mikoto's approval as a future daughter-in-law! She internally pumped a fist. She could totally do this.

"Now we've been travelling for a while. How about we start some training?"

"O-of course!"

"Now your physical skills and stamina are a bit lacking but you stated you wished to be a combat medic like Tsunade-sama, yes?"

Sakura nodded. Tsunade was her ideal. 

"Then I suppose we should teach you the most important skill of a medic." Mikoto pulled out a storage scroll and removed several items which happened to be several huge, heavy medicine balls wrapped in netting. Next came a huge flock of crows of all sizes. They fixed their beady eyes on Sakura with no small amount of malice. She gulped. 

Mikoto's grin didn't waver in the slightest. "Your first lesson will be how to dodge."

A portion of the summoned crows began to lift one of the medicine balls up overhead....then dropped it so it was headed right for Sakura. She yelped and started running. She heard the fluttering of wings and barely avoided the next ball, while the third clipped her in the shoulder, sending her to the ground. The birds fluttered to the balls to pick them up again.   
  
"Best keep running, Sakura-chan! We need to make it to the Land of Tea by nightfall!" Sakura couldn't avoid a pained, frustrated scream as she picked herself up to start running again.

If the rest of the Uchiha clan was as mad as its matriarch, she was considering finding some other boy to dedicate herself to. Maybe Hinata's cousin Neji. The Hyuuga's were assholes of the highest order but at least they were _sane._

* * *

She ducked, rolled, dove, and jumped to avoid each and every hit headed her way. Her opponents, she noticed, had started to slow. She kept weaving through them so their attacks ended up directed at one another rather than her. She smirked to herself. And now...time to fight back. None of her enemies had noticed all the exploding tags she had scattered around the field. She didn't even bother to keep the fierce joy out of her tone.

"Katsu!"

The heat knocked her back slightly but that was fine. It meant she had a few seconds to get the next few traps set up. She focused on the strings woven around her fingers and wrapped them around the handles of her lighter kunai. It had taken her ages to learn the finer arts of controlled explosions and chakra string puppetry but she knew her boys would be proud.  She just wished they'd hurry their asses up.

If she died because they got distracted with their bickering, she'd never forgive them.

Three.

* * *

 

"That our teammate? She looks like shit, yeah." Sakura felt her eye twitch. 

"Idiot. You know you shouldn't say that sort of thing about a girl." Lazy honey-brown eyes looked her over. "Even if it is true."

She grit her teeth and glared at them.

Mikoto, barely winded and jovial as ever, gave her head a light pat. Sakura hissed in pain. Her everywhere hurt.

"Now now, boys. You must be Deidara and Sasori, right? I am Uchiha Mikoto, your sensei." She nodded. "And this is Haruno Sakura, your teammate for our mission. Now you three chat and get to know one another while I speak to your escorts." She glided off, graceful and calm as a summer breeze.

Sakura dragged herself to a chair at the same table as the two boys and collapsed into it.

Deidara and Sasori shared a look. Deidara sighed and gently nudged a stick of dango over to her. Sasori passed her the rest of his cup of tea. She took both and devoured the treat, then washed it down with the lukewarm tea. " 'nk you." she mumbled as she wiped her face. Her normal braid was coming loose and she could feel the bruises blooming all over her body.

She looked them in the eye, and placed the cup back on the table. "You two..." She motioned for them to lean in. They shared another look but did so, leaning in close.

"Run. Run while you can. She's mad. We're all going to die."

"Now, Sakura-chan! Making jokes with your teammates already?" All three froze. They hadn't sensed her approach. At all. "What nice bonding. I know! Once we set off tomorrow, how about we play a little game to get to know each other better."

She grinned at them. Sakura paled. Sasori raised an eyebrow while Deidara swallowed hard.

"It'll be a fun little game of Shinobi Tag. I'll be it."

Sakura whimpered in horror. They were doomed.

* * *

 

There were only three left at this point. Sakura was winded and beat up but...she could keep fighting. She was still on her feet, steady as a mountain. The ninja before her were worse off than her and though they still had the advantage of numbers, she was beginning to see the difference in skill.

It came as sort of a heady rush. She was winning this fight. She had been put up against nigh-impossible odds and she was not just surviving, but thriving.

She'd been a hard worker her whole life. She gave her all to her training and she was finally reaping the benefits. How long had she been this skilled? The Sakura who graduated Top Rookie would have run after that first explosion. When had she become so...so amazing?

Even so, she couldn't afford to get cocky. The remaining enemy were gearing up for a fresh wave of attacks, so she was back on the defensive. 

Two.

* * *

 

She never expected her teammates to fawn over her or protect her more than necessary. And she had been right. They expected her to be able to hold her own and watch their backs as well as they watched hers. They taught her little tricks and skills. How to arrange an explosive array for most damage with the least amount of tags. How to control weapons with chakra string.

She taught them how to patch themselves up if she wasn't able to do so. Sasori would carve his wood puppets and quiz her on the effects and antidotes of poisons both obscure and common. Deidara was more than happy to use her flash cards to test her memory of human biology. She helped them with cooking dinners so they'd know how to flavor their foods.

She even taught them basic Kunoichi sign language in case of emergencies.

All the while, Mikoto led them. She would cast sharingan-boosted Genjutsu on them and they'd have to find their way out within a certain time limit that grew shorter each day. She would question them on the history and politics of various nations while they traveled. During meals, they trained more. She taught them how to set up and dismantle traps, some basic hiding jutsu, and even how to create a distress flare with chakra alone.

Whenever they stopped in a town, they accepted as many D-Rank missions they could complete in a matter of days. 

They learned each other's habits.

Sakura let go of her frustrations and disappointment and learned to love her team. Though that didn't mean she would stop picking on them.

"Art is all about transience! Not about dusty rotting garbage sitting in museums, yeah!" Deidara glared at Sasori and shoved another spoonful of stew into his mouth.

Sasori didn't bother looking up from where Sakura was bandaging his ankle. "This is where you're wrong, brat. Art is about preserving beauty eternally. That is why they call them masterpieces."

"My apologies, Sasori- _danna_ ," Deidara sneered, "I forgot you were the eldest, all-knowing master of art and taste."

Sasori finally looked at his teammate, then rolled his eyes. He looked back down at Sakura. "Even the youngest member knows I'm right. Don't you, Sakura."

"No way! Sakura's on my side, yeah!" They both looked at her expectantly.

She bit back a smile and pinned Sasori's bandage in place. She stood, ruffled Sasori's hair, and grinned. 

"Actually...I think art in general is really boring. And pointless." 

She ducked the stew bowl and spare shoe thrown at her with a bright laugh and dove over to her own tent. Deidara's tone, full of mock offense, was betrayed by the laughter in his eyes. Sasori glared in her direction but she saw the corner of his mouth quirk.

It was a common routine. They both knew what her answer would be.

* * *

 

Sakura weaved another genjutsu over the area while she hid behind a stone to repair her injuries. She was getting tired but she couldn't quit. Not now. They were after her team too. 

Deidara for his explosion release and for the Kinjutsu that the Tsuchikage had bestowed on him and Sasori for his friendship with Gaara, the Jinchuriki of Suna. She had to stop them before her boys arrived. She couldn't risk them being harmed, not for a moment.

She took a breath and pulled her gloves back on. Time was up. She hopped over the rock before they were able to break the last layer. 

She'd crush them to pieces before they touched her boys.

One.

* * *

 

"Ah, sweet Konoha!" Sakura tossed her hands up. "How I missed you!"

Sasori and Deidara traded glances behind her back. She grinned at them, then took their hands to rush forward. "Come on!"

Mikoto chuckled and jogged after them. A shadow landed next to her and she spared it a smile. "Hello, my son. I take it you've been well?"

Itachi glanced at his mother, then nodded. He looked at the three genin at the gates. Sakura was busily trying to introduce her team to Izumo and Kotetsu. The gate guards teased her about something and she flushed with embarrassment. The boys had odd looks on their faces matched with intense blushes.

"Sakura's grown a lot, hasn't she, Itachi?" Mikoto smiled at him. "I practically consider her to be my own daughter by now...too bad we can't make it official."

His face flushed and he slipped his ANBU mask back on. "Sasuke is still single as well." 

"I suppose that's true." She chuckled and waved as he vanished, though he reappeared for an instant to tug his mother into a quick hug. Then, like the wind, he was gone once more.

Mikoto smiled and trotted over to join her students. "Yes, that's right. We're back for the Chunin Selection exams. We'll report to Hokage-sama immediately."

She smiled at Sakura. "Then you can get back to your tour of your hometown. Introduce the boys to all your little friends."

Sakura grinned. "I sent a message to Ino-pig yesterday. She's putting together a huge get-together at Yakiniku-Q."

"Well then, best not keep them waiting."

Sakura couldn't stop bouncing all throughout her report to the Hokage. Minato's eyes seemed to shine with pride. He'd been kept updated though Mikoto, but seeing the change in Sakura was a breath of fresh air.

"Seems like you've had a busy few months. I will accept your report and postpone your mission until the end of the exams. Should you all pass, you will return to your original villages for a time before resuming your work as an official branch of our diplomacy team, taking on higher-ranking missions for countries without ninja villages to support them."

Sakura's bouncing stilled. Her team would be split up? She bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to lose her team. Her boys. Her Family.

Deidara took one of her hands in his while Sasori placed a comforting hand on her back. She took a deep breath. So they'd be split up for a while. They were still hers. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I accept and I will do my best with my team to pass the exams. I'll make you proud."

Minato's smile widened. "I know you will. You all already have. Dismissed."

As they left the tower, Mikoto nodded to them. "You are all free to relax. I'll have your things sent to my home, boys. You'll be staying in my family's home. Sakura...I'm sure your parents will want to see you and meet your team. Plus you want to wash up before you meet Ino-chan, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Than you, Sensei...and...Mikoto-sensei?"

Mikoto looked down at her student.

"Thank you. For all of it. Everything. Even the parts that sucked."

Mikoto blinked back tears. "Thank you for not giving up. All have you have grown so much. I know you'll pass those exams and continue the work we started."

Sakura nodded. She tugged her boys closer.

Deidara sniffed and hugged the other two. He forced out a watery chuckle. "Come on. It's not like we're dying, yeah."

Sasori pulled Sakura to him with one hand and used the other to cup the back of Deidara's neck. "We're still a team. We'll still go on missions and travel and annoy the hell out of one another." Mikoto thought she saw a few tears in the corners of his eyes. "Because the both of you still have terrible opinions about art."

Deidara pulled out of the group hug to let out an offended gasp. Sakura sighed in resignation but she was smiling once more.

They'd be just fine. All of them.

* * *

 

Sakura stumbled as the last ninja fell, his chest caved in under her fist. She had spent the last three years assisting Tsunade with running the hospital and learning how to be a combat medic like she always dreamed. It had been her first mission with her boys again since they had passed their exam. Their first mission since Orochimaru and Amegakure declared war on the rest of the shinobi nations. And these ninja had intercepted her.

She tipped backwards, utterly spent. In a flutter of dark feathers, she was caught in a pair of strong, steady arms. She tipped her head back and smiled in utter relief.

"Itachi-kun..."

He smiled down at her. Gentle and full of pride, just like his mother.

"You did well, Sakura-chan. I managed to get here before your team, but only barely...my apologies for not arriving sooner."

She glanced down at the bodies all around her, then back up. "I...I won..?"

He nodded. "You won. By yourself." He smiled a bit wider. Maybe his mother was onto something about settling down. 

She nodded and slumped a bit more against him, but perked up when her boys landed nearby. "Dei....Sasori..."  
  
Deidara was the first over, yanking the girl from his arms. "Saku-chan! Thank gods." He flashed Itachi a warning glare as he cradled his teammate. "You did so good, yeah. Kicked ass, just like we knew you could."

Sasori joined them and cupped Sakura's face. "Are you injured? Badly? Were you injected with anything? Who's the current Mizukage?"

Sakura groaned and flashed him a tired smirk. "What, not gonna take this opportunity to ask me about what true art is?"

Sasori's eyes searched her face, then he sighed in relief. He leaned forward so his forehead pressed into hers. "Don't make me strangle you myself. Brat."

Itachi watched the three and felt his heart clench slightly. Perhaps he'd missed his chance. Still, he wasn't surprised.

She was, after all, the number one Rookie of her year.


	4. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern day AU. Sakura gets a part time job at her friend's relative's antique store. But what's up with all these weird antiques?

Sakura heaved a sigh and lifted another box of books out of the closet to set them out front. Why Jiraiya sold his books at his  _antique store_ of all places was beyond her. The only thing that mystified her more was the fact that people bought them. Still, she had agreed to help out at the store for some extra cash before summer break. She, Naruto, and Sasuke had a beach getaway planned after all. She was going to buy herself that expensive bikini she'd been eyeing and she'd look so gorgeous, even her idiot best friends wouldn't be able to keep the hot guys away.

She clenched a fist and grinned to herself. No more would Haruno Sakura be the only girl who'd never had a boyfriend.

 _"Shannaro! I'll show those bitches! I'll get the hottest guy on the beach! No, I'll get every guy! I'll have a reverse harem all my own!"_ She wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth and chuckled darkly. Oh yes. She'd show them.

"Sakura-san?" She shook herself out of her daydreams and adjusted the box in her arms.

"Coming, Senpai! Sorry, I got lost in thought!" She smiled at her only co-worker, Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. 

He smiled back gently, then returned to the antique he was messing with. "It's fine. I was just worried something had happened. There are lots of...odd things in this store. You can never be too careful."

She giggled and placed the box by the shelves where the rest of the books were on display. "Like that wind-up shark you're always fiddling with?"

He smiled a bit wider and nodded. "Yes, exactly so. This shark used to wind up and swim around in the water...but now it won't. None of the gears are rusted and the mechanism itself is fine...but it won't swim properly. Whenever I place it in the water, it sinks."

He wound up the toy, a blue, metal shark with a matching wind-up key. He then placed it in a nearby fishbowl full of water. The fishbowl was otherwise empty as there hadn't been a fish to occupy it in some time. As he said, the shark made all the motions of swimming but it simply sank to the bottom. Itachi sighed slightly and poked at the bowl,

"Maybe he doesn't like the environment...?" He mumbled, more to himself than her.

She frowned at the forlorn look on his face. Sakura rolled up her sleeves and walked over. "Here, let me take a look at it. You might be missing something? I have pretty good eyes and steady hands."

She paused to gently pet the clay bird on the counter. It and several other small antiques always sat proudly on display but never for sale. The bird was colored like a gentle yellow cockatiel but its eyes were a soft blue. It sat next to a small, red scorpion puppet that seemed to be made of some odd desert wood. Next to that was a cute venus flytrap in a black and white pot, an odd little skeleton doll that she swore was made of real bone, and a small voodoo doll made of cloth and stitched with inky black threads. She hated how the button eyes of the little cloth doll always seemed to follow her.

On a higher shelf sat three dolls that were kept in the utmost mint condition. One was a little frog dressed as a prince with spiked orange hair, another was a sad little monk with long, messy red hair that seemed to be crying. Last was a gorgeous girl in a pretty sky-blue kimono, decorated with pinwheels. She had deep blue hair and wore an origami flower in it, pinning the silky strands into a neat bun. 

Part of Sakura longed to take some of these dolls home, rather than keep them locked up in a dusty old shop, but Jiraiya had told her she was never to sell any of them. She focused back in the present and moved to pull the metal shark out of the water.

"Oh, do be careful of his-"

"Ow! Motherfuck!" Sakura yanked her now-bleeding hand out of the water.

"-Teeth." Itachi finished with a sigh. He went to fetch the first aid kit from the bathroom.

She growled and looked at her hand. She gave it a light shake due to the pain and frowned guiltily when her blood spattered over some of the "special" antiques. "Whoops. Ugh. I hope you're happy, you dumb...toy...?"

She looked back at the bowl and the shark was no longer at the bottom. Instead, it floated easily in the middle of the water, its nose poking the glass just slightly. Its dark eyes were focused only on her. Where once was jerky, mechanical twitching, the shark's tail flicked back and forth lazily and its fins shifted with gentle, precise movements.

Just like a real shark. 

She stared and kept staring as it swam up to breech the surface. The little toy shark's head swiveled around, as if to check for people, before its focus returned to her. She watched it warily, unwilling to get closer. Maybe she should have yelled for help? Maybe she was hallucinating the entire thing.

"Hey! Pinkie" She held her breath as the shark spoke. It seemed to grin at her. "Thanks for the blood. Turns out it was just what I needed to get moving again~! Maybe now Itachi will stop worrying so much, yeah?"

She nodded slowly, unwilling to take he eyes off of the shark. She thought she saw movement from the direction of the other items on the front shelf but she dared not look away.

Itachi re-entered and smiled brightly at the little shark. "Kisame! You're back to normal...Thank goodness." He placed the first aid kit down and scooped the little shark out of the tank. "I was afraid I'd never speak to you again..."

Kisame, the toy shark, nuzzled into Itachi's palm. "Glad to see you too, Itachi. Turns out all I needed was human blood. No wonder yours didn't work."

Sakura blinked. "Human...blood? But Itachi-Senpai is a human..."

Itachi glanced down at Kisame, then back up at Sakura. "Unfortunately I am not...I am a bakeneko."

Sakura stared at him. Then she laughed. "Okay, living wind-up dolls are one thing. But it's not funny to joke about not being human, Itachi...senpai...."

As she spoke, a two-pronged tail emerged from behind Itachi's back. His ears twitched and grew into large, pointed black cat ears. His eyes went from the coal black infamous to the Uchiha clan and turned a bright red with black tomoe swirling around the pupil.

She stared at Itachi.

Itachi stared back.

They were silent for a long, long time until Itachi began to silently fret and panic due to the awkward standoff.

He raised a hand, then curled it into a paw shape near his face, his other hand still holding Kisame.

"N...Nyaaaa.:"

Sakura fainted.

* * *

 

She awoke a bit later to something gently nuzzling under her chin. She reached up to pat it gently and blinked into proper consciousness when the thing chirped. It felt like the cute little clay bird on the shelf.

"Tori-chan...?" She sat up and the little bird figure tumbled down into her waiting hand.

"I'm Deidara! But you can call me Dei-chan if you want, yeah!" The small clay bird hopped about in her palm and nuzzled happily into her thumb. "I haven't been able to move in ages! That blood of yours is some potent stuff, yeah."

"Deidara. She just fainted." It was then that Sakura noticed something crawling up her back onto her shoulder. The little scorpion puppets settled in. "I am Sasori. Thank you. I have been waiting far, far too long for freedom."

She blinked and reached up to give the little puppet a pet. Sasori seemed startled but leaned into it. "S-sure. Don't mention it."

"Sakura, are you awake?" Itachi peeked into the back room, his feline features hidden once more. She sighed and nodded.

"Yeah...sorry for fainting. That really caught me off-guard." She gave Deidara another pet before setting him on her other shoulder. "So are you gonna...explain?"

"Yes, of course. The Uchiha are one of many clans of Youkai who have lived hidden amongst humans for a long, long time. Others include the Uzumaki, they're kitsune, The Senju who are forest spirits, etc. Konoha is one of many towns where beings like us are protected and hidden from those who would do us harm. This place is...a jail of sorts for Youkai who broke laws, abandoned their homes, things like that."

She blinked. "A jail? So...?" She looked to Deidara who puffed up his feathers with pride.

"I was a terrorist."

She frowned then turned to Sasori.

"Murder...and necromancy. I turned one (1) single human body into a puppet and then everyone was convinced I'd do the same to other people." He rolled the two main eyes on his body and a few smaller ones scattered around his face for good measure. She sighed and looked back to Itachi.

"Yes, well...it seems that only human blood, when freely given, will allow them to move for a time. This may change if you decide to continue sharing." He lightly poked at Kisame who bobbed up and down in the tank.

She tilted her head and stood. "Change?"

"What the pansy-ass kitty cat means is that we might be able to take human form again." She looked over at the little skeleton doll, now clad in what looked like robes. The eye-sockets, once empty, now contained a pair of eyes that had a pinkish-red color. "Name's Hidan, sugar tits. Priest of the Great Jashin-sama."

"Wasn't Jashin the god of that big cult that was full of murderers and serial killers? I thought they had killed or arrested everyone involved."

"Heh, all except me, babe. I'm a pretty big deal."

"And yet," came a grumpy voice from behind the cash register, "You're locked up here with the rest of us. Seems your god was really looking out for you."

"Hey, fuck off, you Hackey-sack looking sunnovabitch! No one was talking to you!"

"Then learn to speak with an indoor voice."

"Eat shit and die! Heathen!"

Sakura gave Hidan a gentle pat on the head which shut him up. Deidara snickered and nuzzled against the side of her neck. She peeked over the register to see the last of the main dolls on the counter holding several bills, all of which were bigger than he was tall. He glanced up at her, the button eyes now mostly pink save for the bright green pupils. 

"I'm taking this as compensation for being frozen for so long."

She yelped and yanked it out of his hands. "No! I mean...we'll get in trouble...besides, aren't you supposed to be in jail or something?"

The voodoo doll glared at her. "Or something." 

She frowned and reached over to pick him up by the back of his shirt. He cursed and squirmed, trying to break free, but he was helpless like this.

"Set me down this instant, woman!"

"No way. Not until I'm sure you're not gonna try to rob the vault or something...whatever your name is."

The doll stilled, seemingly thinking about robbing from the vault.

"....My name is Kakuzu. And...fine. I will cease in my attempts to take what is owed to me. For now."

She sighed and smiled at him gently. "Guess that's going to have to do. Well, I'm Haruno Sakura. And I hope to get along with all of you."

Deidara chirped happily. "A pretty name suits a pretty lady like you. Though I'm surprised. If I were a normal human like you, I'd be running, yeah."

She smiled and stroked him gently. "Well, it's a bit strange to be surrounded by mini-youkai...but..." She set Kakuzu down on the countertop. "I promised I'd work here, at least until summer starts, so it really can't be helped. I've got my medical supplies at home so I think it will be easiest to drain some blood from myself...how often do you think you'll need it?"

Kisame hummed from his little tank. "From what I recall...the old man only needed to give us a few drops once a month, give or take. But yours feels...stronger than his is. He used to use a sanitized hatpin and prick his finger or his palm. That should be plenty."

She nodded and smiled, gently picking him up from the water. "I see. That's fine. I'm just glad you're alright. Itachi's been really worried about you."

The toy shark chuckled as Itachi's face colored. "Yeah, he's a real worrywart. Thanks to you, little miss, I'm right as rain."

She giggled and pressed a light kiss to the toy's snout. "Good to hear."

In an instant, the room was engulfed in a bright light. She rubbed her eyes, then realized the toy was gone. 

"Kisame?! Are you alright, did I drop you?"

She registered a heavy feeling on her legs and looked down. A man knelt in front of her, his hands rested on her thighs and he stared up at her with a look of utter awe. He had oddly blue skin with gill-like marks down his neck and on his cheeks, his eyes were an odd grey, and his hair was a spiky navy blue. She stared at him a bit longer before it clicked.

There was a nude man leaning on her lap. 

He blinked at her, then grinned with sharp, pointed teeth. "Please don't faint again, Pinkie. Itachi will freak out."

"Kisame...?"

He leaned forward to rest his head on her knees, still smirking. "In the flesh. Been a while."

She blushed brightly and swallowed hard. In the background, she could hear the others freaking out but she couldn't quite process it.

"Oh. This...huh."

Maybe her dreams of having her own reverse harem weren't too far off...

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my short fic collection! I'm not accepting prompts currently but if there's any fic you would like to see continued, shoot my tumblr a message! I'm Missvulpix212.


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